News

Gameloft’s Asphalt 8 has gone free to play in version 1.1.0. The game has also added the Clio R.S., and Gameloft claims “new cars will appear at any moment.” New limited-time cups and boosters are now included, and a multiplayer world series introduces seven new reverse tracks. Touch controls can also be customized now, with the quiet addition of support for “Apple gamepads” also nestled inside the update.

Basecamp (free) from 37signals now supports iOS 7. The project management app lets team members access everything in a project from the app, from anywhere, providing comments while they collaborate on the project. Basecamp lets members view progress and upload files, as well. The latest version 1.4.1 fixes a blank screen bug.

Flexibits’ new Fantastical 2 ($5) has already proven to be a popular calendar app; now it’s been redesigned for iOS 7 with reminders, new event details, a new week view, background app updating, an extended keyboard, and much more. The app also supports dictation. It’s currently on sale for $3.

Disney’s Jake’s Never Land Shapes and Patterns ($4) uses characters from Jake and the Never Land Pirates to teach children about — as you may have guessed — shapes and patterns. Three leveled curriculum activities help kids recognize and learn shapes and patterns. The interactive app allows children to personalize their own pirate puppets, as well. Characters voices from the show add to the experience. Our kid testers really loved the app’s sampled audio and animation, finding the interface mostly easy to figure out; if your child loves the Jake TV show, give it a shot.

Nike has introduced its anticipated new Nike+ Move (free) app. Announced at an Apple event in September, Nike+ Move is designed to work exclusively with the iPhone 5s, using the device’s M7 coprocessor. It measures your activity throughout the day through the oblique NikeFuel system. The app shows users where and and when they move the most each day. Earned NikeFuel points can be compared to points earned by friends.